“Water for Life” awards for environmental organisations
On World Water Day 2012 (22nd of March) the United Nations awarded two environmental organisations with a "Water for Life" award for their efforts to improve water management in their region. Both ENDS' partner Environment Support Group (ESG) received an award in category 1 for "Best water management practices", for a project on protecting the Bangalore lakes in India. A second award was handed out to Soluciones Simples Que Salvan Vidas (Sodis) for developing new communication strategies to improve water management in Bolivia.
The United Nations hands out these awards yearly to stimulate follow-up of international agreements on water issues. Clean water is scarce but the demand keeps increasing exponentially. Agriculture and industry are large-scale consumers of fresh water. Meanwhile over a billion people in development countries are living without clean drinking water or sanitary facilities. To face these issues, goals such as the Millennium Development Goals, Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan for Implementation have been set to prevent technological developments of endangering the ecosystems of local communities.
The "Water for Life" award 2012 emphasizes the theme of World Water Day for this year, "Water and food security". Urbanization around Bangalore, India, caused severe damage to the lakes in the area. By protesting against privatization and giving back control over the lakes to the local inhabitants, the ESG has a positive influence on water and food security in the surrounding areas. An extensive legal plan was drafted in order to protect and conserve the lakes.
Both ENDS is very concerned with water management. It supports ESG with activities and with expanding their network. Examples of strategies related to water that Both ENDS uses in several countries are the ADAPTS program and the Negotiated Approach.
You can find out more about the winning projects here.
Photo Flickr: by Dietmut Teijgeman-Hansen.
Read more about this subject
-
Instalink / 3 november 2024 -
News / 1 november 2024Both ENDS at COP29: advocating for gender just climate finance
On November 11th, the 29th UN Climate Conference will start in Baku, Azerbaijan. Just like previous years, Both ENDS will be there to advocate for local access to climate finance, and to support our partner organisations in their advocacy work. How do we do that, and what are our hopes (and worries) about this 29th edition of the UNFCCC COP? We asked Marius Troost, who will be joining COP29 together with Daan Robben.
-
Instalink / 31 oktober 2024
-
Publication / 29 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 29 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 24 oktober 2024
-
Publication / 21 oktober 2024
-
News / 21 oktober 2024Disappointment over failure to submit National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that the Dutch government has not submitted its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for the CBD COP16 in Cali. This disregard for international agreements undermines the concerted global effort to address the urgent biodiversity crisis.
-
Instalink / 18 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 18 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 17 oktober 2024
-
Instalink / 10 oktober 2024
-
News / 3 oktober 2024CVM trial of Vale Executives over Brumadinho Dam Collapse brings new momentum
Fabio Schvartsman and Gerd Peter Poppinga attended a Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) trial session, last Tuesday, October 1st. Poppinga was convicted by one of the CMV directors, but the second CMV director requested more time to review the case files, postponing the judgment by 60 days. Victims’ families and supporters will have to keep waiting for justice regarding one of Brazil’s worst human and environmental disasters.
-
Instalink / 3 oktober 2024
-
Blog / 30 september 2024Of EACOP and tales of a defender in development
The Joke Waller-Hunter (JWH) Initiative creates opportunities for young people in the environmental sector in developing countries to unfold their full potential. By providing small grants to individuals to expand their knowledge, experience and training, the Initiative aims to strengthen environmental Civil Society Organisations capacity and efficiency. Grantee Brighton Aryampa wrote a column for Monitor about his journey to becoming a Human Rights Defender, and his work battling the EACOP.
-
Publication / 24 september 2024
-
News / 24 september 2024Massive Wildfires Ravage South America
“The fires have reached proportions we have never experienced before.”
Large swathes of South America are currently draped in smoke. From Buenos Aires, to São Paulo to Asunción people struggle to breathe due to unprecedented fires raging on the continent, fuelled by extreme drought, the expansion of the agriculture frontier and rising temperatures linked to climate change.
-
Blog / 29 augustus 2024Local action for resilient wetlands and riparian lands of the Athi river basin in Kenya
and Kyra Pohlan
Communities throughout the Athi river basin rely on healthy and resilient semi-aquatic ecosystems, such as riparian and wetland areas, for their well-being and livelihoods. These habitats have become ever more important for local communities in adapting to the effects of climate change, in particular the more frequent and more extreme periods of drought and flooding. By conserving and re-establishing riparian lands and wetlands, groups from the Athi River Community Network do not only protect their immediate environment but also contribute to the well-being of downstream areas.
-
News / 16 augustus 2024Statement on the denial of legal protection by the Philippines Court of Appeals towards environmental defenders Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano
Both ENDS expresses its profound concern over the recent decision by the Philippines Court of Appeals to deny legal protection to Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano against unlawful harassment and reprisals from state forces. Castro and Jhed are two young environmental human rights defenders who were violently abducted by Filipino armed forces in September 2023, for almost 17 days, in a case that made international headlines. The two women had been working as community organizers in Northern Manila Bay, where large-scale land reclamation's have wreaked havoc on communities and ecosystems.
-
Letter / 22 juli 2024
Joint Call to Action: International Civil Society Demands Justice for Berta Cáceres' Murder Victims in Honduras
This is a joint call to action by international civil society organizations to call upon the Honduran authorities to ensure there is justice for the victims of the murder on Berta Caceres. Eight years and four months have passed since the crime against Berta and the Honduran justice system has not confirmed the sentences of those convicted and has not prosecuted the intellectual authors. We are extremely concerned that independent administration of justice and international agreements on human rights are not being upheld.
